Hospitality & Catering

Hospitality & Catering is a dynamic industry that enables you to be creative, travel and meet new people. You will be able to work in hotels, cafés, bars, restaurants, hospitals, industrial food services, travel industries and the armed services.

If you have the drive and enthusiasm you will be given many exciting opportunities to develop and succeed. Whether you are a school leaver just starting out or a mature student looking to change your career, Bedford College is the place for you offering flexible progression routes from Level 1 through to Level 5.

Why choose us?

Excellent reputation
Our Hospitality & Catering Department has an excellent reputation locally and nationally, due to the skills and professionalism of its learners, demonstrated by success in competitions such as the Future Chef competition, the UK Skills Challenge and Restaurant Magazine ‘College Restaurant of the Year’.

In 2016 the restaurant was awarded the prestigious AA College Rosette, having impressed AA Hotel and Restaurant Inspectors with “Quality and consistent standards of hospitality, service and cuisine.”

National events and competitions
Join Bedford College and you will benefit from the expertise and contacts of our tutors who have had successful careers and are members of the Craft Guild of Chefs, the Hotel, Catering & International Management Association (HCIMA), and the Master Chefs of Great Britain. They have also won awards for Education Chef of the Year.

Our students provide the best examples of our success. In the last few years, they have won over 35 awards in competitions such as the South of England Championships and the British Open. Student Stephanie Chou was awarded second place in the Student Game Chef Competition and student Abbigail Smith won the local finals of the Future Chef competition. You will have the opportunity to participate in exchange visits and a wide range of national and international competitions.

Seminars and professional workshops
If you are studying for a HNC/HND, you will have the opportunity to attend seminars and professional workshops and undertake voluntary work experience, which will provide you with challenging practical experiences and enhance your understanding of professional industry standards.

Additional qualifications to complement your studies
As part of your studies, you may be able to take additional relevant qualifications, such as food hygiene, health and safety and food and drink service. These qualifications will provide you with flexible and transferable skills which will enhance your employment prospects.

Student destinations

76% of our Hospitality & Catering students go straight into employment or an apprenticeship.

Source: Bedford College FE Student Destinations 2015-16

Real world learning environments
You will train within realistic working environments including kitchens and our newly re-furbished 25 Restaurant.

Employers are continually impressed with the skills that our students develop. Working in these real world environments will give you invaluable experience serving paying customers. These unique experiences will provide you with a distinct advantage in the job market and will enable you to join past students who now work for some of the world’s most prestigious companies including The Savoy, Le Méridien, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Gordon Ramsey, the Roux Brothers, The Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Park Inn Hotels, Eaton College, as well as local businesses such as the Bedford Swan Hotel.